PHNOM PENH, September 26, 2024 — On July 31st, Chaktomuk Short Film Festival (CSFF) closed its call for submission. This year marks the 13th year that CSFF will be held.

Partnered with various cinemas across Phnom Penh, this edition will bring a top-notch viewing experience of its selected short films to local audiences. The final results of the short films submitted to us since the end of April, are revealed below.

After an intensive period of curation and discussions, CSFF has selected the following titles for competition categories out of the total 259 entries:

CAMBODIAN COMPETITION

BLACK LIGHT Pisen Chhen

Three Legs in the Evening Niyalic Khun

Golden Dragon Boren Chhith

Help Phon Sophannarith

After The Rain Sovandara Ly, Erika Asakura, Jamy Yuttivong Hang

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION - 2 SECTIONS:

Title Filmmakers Country

Hot Seat Johmar Damiles Philippines

Fake it till you make it Laura Petrone, Guillaume Kerbusch. Belgium

L'âge acrobatique Mathieu Barbet France

Dreams like paper boats Samuel Suffren Haiti

Oyu Atsushi Hirai Japan/France

The Masterpiece Àlex Lora Spain

Don't Cry Gabriel Mathilde Chavanne France

The Last Garden Facundo Rifé Argentina

The Physical Realm Sompot Chidgasornpongse Thailand

Total international entries: 174, including 135 fictions.

It is worth noting that besides these finalist titles, CSFF is going to showcase other selected entries, based on the following categories:

3. Cambodian Film Showcase

4. Cambodian Documentary Showcase - 2 Sections

5. International Film Showcase

6. Sunflower Short Film Showcase (SFA) Showcase

7. Cambodian Thriller Showcase

8. New Asian Filmmakers Cambodia Showcase

9. SEAVFC Showcase

Mr. Eam Tith Seiha, CSFF’s Local Programmer, expressed his excitement for this year's film selection: “This year, out of the many short films the festival has received , I noticed that the production techniques—camera work, lighting, and sound—have significantly improved. But what grabbed my attention the most is the variety of genres presented, including Drama, Horror, and especially Thriller. This makes me think that young filmmakers are not only striving to create good works, but also aiming to showcase their abilities and prepare themselves to become directors of commercial films for the broader public. I believe this is a positive sign for the film industry in Cambodia. Therefore, this year, we have added another showcase, Thriller Showcase, to highlight even more excellent works. As for the film selection, we are focusing on storyline, acting direction, and technical aspects such as cinematography and editing.”

“As 2024 is my fourth year at CSFF, I’ve been working to push the boundaries of what CSFF has to offer in terms of excellence and experimentation.

This past year, The New Asian Filmmakers Collective, a Beijing based film collective, who have been training the next generation of independent filmmakers in China, decided to host their 21st workshop session in Phnom Penh in collaboration with the French Institute of Cambodia, Anti-Archive, and the Acting Art Academy. These experimentations of film in Cambodia break the old mold of the commercial/studio systems and prove that art is possible beyond the restrictions we set for ourselves. I hope our special NAFC program this year helps our local filmmakers reimagine their filmmaking process, and our local audience redefine what a film can be.

In conjunction with this idea, the program for our International Showcase likewise features strong experimentations in cinema which help to push these boundaries,” commented CSFF International Programmer, Mr. Sansitny RUTH.

Mr. Glenn ALA, Commercial Content Producer and Advisor to CSFF 2024 stated, “This year’s selection of short films is a bold exploration into the human experience, tackling themes that people would normally shy away from - domestic abuse, violence, emotional and psychological trauma, death, loss, isolation and ostracism. This is a testament to how filmmaking in Cambodia is maturing as an art form that doesn’t just showcase and entertain anymore, but now, more importantly, provokes thought and invites conversation. There is much to look forward to in the Cambodian film industry.”

The festival will be officially held from October 25th to 28th, for four days in a row, including opening and closing days. If you wish to watch new local and international short films, you are encouraged to come and check these out to support young filmmakers. All the screenings and events will be conducted in person at Legend Cinema, Fable Cinema, Major Cineplex - Sorya and Cine Hub.

Since its new edition launch, CSFF has been officially supported by Ministry of Culture and Fine Art and Ministry of Information, funded by Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Japan Foundation - Phnom Penh Liaison Office, and news covered by Sabay News, Kiripost Media, TV5, Cinemata, Everything About Cambodia (EAC - English news). Legend Cinema and Major Cineplex by Smart have again supported these screenings this year with their cinematic experience, joined by the new cinema in town Fable Cinema. Also, since its kick-off, CSFF 2024 has been supplied with snacks and drinks respectively by “Neal” and “11:11 Coffee”.

The festival is also looking for more financial support in order to prepare and produce promotional events and materials to reach out to filmmakers, students, and the wider public, as well as to support the festival committee to deserve our audience and stakeholders’ trust. If you feel like contributing, please scan the QR code below:

For more updates, please follow us on the following platforms:

Website: http://csff.co

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For details please contact:

Miss VANDY Denasophealeap

Supervisor of Public Relations

Phone: +855 69 288 169

Email: com@csff.co